New England budget 12.23.09

Wednesday

Here are the top New England regional stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com.

If your paper has a story, digest item, opinion piece or standalone photo to share, please send it to us via Zope or by e-mailing newengland@gatehousemedia.com.

Contacts:

- Chris Biondi, 508-626-4343, cbiondi@gatehousemedia.com

- Jean Hodges, 630-956-8834, jhodges@gatehousemedia.com

- Michael Toeset, 630-835-8870, mtoeset@gatehousemedia.com

AT GHNEWSROOM.COM

POLL IDEA: Each week we’ll post a national poll idea you can use on your own Web site to allow your readers to weigh in on a topic of interest, whether it’s a news story, a pop culture story or a sports story. Check out our first question, with embed code.

CHRISTMAS DISPLAY: Holiday display at Bridgewater home draws onlookers, charity donations - What started as a small, personal display on the Alexander Drive cul-de-sac has now become a major attraction and holiday tradition in Bridgewater. By The Enterprise.

CHRISTMAS TRAINS: Toy trains carry memories of Christmas seasons past - It was the fall of 1960 when my parents took me on repeated visits to an appliance store called Lions. The store was located at the corner of Bedford at Rock streets, now the parking lot of the Mechanics Bank. Most of the year the store that carried home appliances was boring for an 8-year-old boy, but near Christmas there was a section alive with Lionel trains. Little did I know that is was a scouting expedition for my parents. They wanted to see just what train I really wanted. By Dave Souza.

BASEBALL FILM: Wellesley filmmaker documents baseball fever in a cold state - Fairbanks, Alaska, might be 3,200 miles away from Wellesley, but the two certainly have something in common. Given Massachusetts’ wintertime, some might think it’s the chilly temperature. The truth is, in addition to being similar in population size, both are home to a large contingent of baseball fans. One Wellesley resident, Eric Scharmer, has set about retelling Alaska’s storied baseball history in his new film “Touching the Game, Alaska.” By Michael Ferrigno.

REV. TESS BAUMBERGER: Pondered in her heart: Mary in the Christmas story - The Christmas story in Luke’s gospel ends by saying that Mary treasured all that had transpired, and pondered it in her heart.

DEIRDRE REILLY: The new Senate bill and abortion - Even though we are in the midst of the Christmas and Hanukkah season, Americans must keep their eyes on the ball in Washington: The Senate is passing the test votes of the new health care reform bill that will affect all Americans. And if you care at all about such things one way or another, then you cannot get past one issue in the bill: abortion.

BEES: Pembroke restaurant owner gets a buzz out of beekeeping - “There’s an increased interest in beekeeping across the board,” said Tony Lulek, director of the bee school run by the Norfolk County Beekeepers Association. By Jody Feinberg.

WEARGUARD: More layoffs at WearGuard in Norwell - After announcing plans to move much of its manufacturing operation earlier this year, the Ararmark Corporation announced this past week that it will cut 118 jobs at the WearGuard apparel plant in Norwell at the end of the month. By Dana Forsythe.

CRIME RATES: FBI: Crime rates falling in America - Figures released Monday by the FBI show national declines in murder, car thefts and other crimes. The ebbing crime rates make this recession different from other economic downturns in the past half-century.

CAUGHT BY CAMERA: Police say burglars caught in Web of technology - Two would-be burglars were foiled Dec. 19 by a high-tech security system that allowed a local man to watch the pair burglarize his apartment while he was at work. Kevin John Fegan, 27, and Joshel Garcia, 18, both of Framingham, were inside the apartment when police arrived and arrested them at 9:30 a.m., never knowing they were being watched via computer, Deputy Police Chief Craig Davis said. By Norman Miller.

JURORS AND FACEBOOK: More judges pulling the plug on jurors' access to Facebook - After his client was convicted of embezzling $350,000 from Bridgewater State College, attorney Brian Kelley went on the social networking site Facebook and looked up the names of the jurors. That is when he discovered at least three jurors had been posting comments during the trial on their Facebook pages about being on the jury. By Maureen Boyle.

ACCUSED RAPIST: Former Abington teacher accused of child rape allowed to spend Christmas with family An elementary school teacher charged with having sex with a 13-year-old will be allowed to spend Christmas with her family. Brockton Superior Court Judge Thomas Connors granted permission for Christine McCallum to leave the state to visit her mother in Rhode Island on Thursday and Friday. By Kaitlin Keane.